How good it was to see a group of councillors have the courage to vote down the mayoral referendum.

The Falmer referendum, the council executive, "City by the Sea" and the "elected" mayor have all been attempts by the council hierarchy and their corporate friends to undermine and sideline the democratic process in the name of "modernisation".

The only real modernisation local government needs is a system of proportional representation in local elections.

It seems the £100,000-per- annum job-creation scheme the mayor's post effectively is has hit real problems. Good.

-Nigel Baker, Portslade